Our Flag Means Death canceled by Max after two seasons

Last Updated on January 12, 2024

Yo ho ho, and a… surprising cancelation? Max announced today that Our Flag Means Death has been canceled after just two seasons, which comes as something of a surprise as creator David Jenkins previously said that he only had three seasons in mind for the series.

“While Max will not be moving forward with a third season of Our Flag Means Death, we are so proud of the joyous, hilarious, and heartfelt stories that creator David Jenkins, Taika Waititi, Rhys Darby, Garrett Basch, Dan Halsted, Adam Stein, Antoine Douaihy and the entire superb cast and crew brought to life,” said a Max representative in a statement. “We also thank the dedicated fans who embraced these stories and built a gorgeous, inclusive community surrounding the show.“

Our Flag Means Death is set in the early 18th century during the Golden Age of Piracy and follows the misadventures of gentleman-turned-pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and his crew aboard the Revenge as they try to make a name for themselves as pirates and cross paths with fame pirate captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi).

In real life, Stede and Blackbeard ultimately met gruesome fates, which helped bring about the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. David Jenkins has said that this was a big reason he wanted to do the series in the first place. “I love the idea of a ‘golden age’ of anything, because just the existence of a golden age means there will be an end,” he said. “‘Mad Men’ is about the golden age of advertising. Basically, any show we love that idealizes something is about a rarified golden age of it, and it is about feeling that it will end and hoping the characters are strong enough to survive it and thrive even as it changes.“

“I love things in threes,” Jenkins told Variety last year about his three-season plan for the series. “That first act, second act, third act structure is so satisfying when it is done well, and you don’t overstay your welcome. I think this world of the show is a big world, and if the third season is successful, we could go on in a different way. But I think for the story of Stede and Ed, that is a three-season story.“

How do you feel about Our Flag Means Death getting canceled?